May 28, 2010

Now, I love all things space. For a long time I was seriously working toward becoming an astronaut. While my plans have changed, I'd still do almost anything for a chance to go to space, and I don't think I'll ever get over being enamored with the universe and all the possibilities it holds.

That said, I often feel wonky around the full moon. For a couple days prior and a couple days afterward, I am often moody and crabbypants, for little or no reason.

It's strange, the foul mood the full moon brings on. (I promise I'm not a were.) My mom and I have always blamed weird occurrences, an onslaught of crappy driving, etc. on the phases of the moon. And if you asked her, she'd swear children are effected by it more than adults; when she taught fifth grade, she could always tell when a full moon was near.

May 27, 2010

Thank you to all of you who offered up suggestions for what to call Bits 2.0, and I apologize for not using any of them. This morning, I struck upon a title that made me smile. So, without further ado, I give you:

Nerd News will feature much of what you've come to expect from Bits, focusing mainly on the nerdier links and news I run across in my weekly Internet travels. And so you can mark your calendars, Nerd News will be posted on Thursdays. For some reason, Thursday strikes me as a particularly nerdy day.

Now, I couldn't just post this info and not give your something for your time, could I? Read on, friends, for the inaugural posting of Nerd News.

This most excellent video "premake" was sent to me by a coworker.

It's particularly fitting for this month, since May 21 was the 30th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back.

I haven't played WoW in months—I hit 80, got kind of bored, needed to cut some expenses—but this mount makes me want to start up again.

And yes, if I was still playing, I probably would shell out $25 for it.

A Mass Effect movie is in the works:

The producers behind The Dark Knight and Spider-Man are teaming for Mass Effect, a live-action, big screen adaptation of the Electronic Arts-BioWare videogame.

Legendary Pictures' Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni have acquired the film rights to the game and will produce the movie along with former Marvel Studios honcho Avi Arad and his son Ari Arad. BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will serve as executive producers, as will Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson. Warner Bros. will distribute the film.

Furthermore, the producers are in negotiations with screenwriter Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, Thor) about penning the script. The Mass Effect movie is in the nascent stages of development.

...

BioWare's epic science fiction series takes place in the year 2183 and follows Commander Shepard of the SS Normandy who leads a team on a mission to defeat an ancient alien race that invades the galaxy every 50,000 years, wiping out all organic life.

Full disclosure: Mass Effect (1 and 2) are the only video games I have ever beat. And I love them. I think the storyline of the games is certainly rich enough to make a movie of. The only beef I think I'll have is that the main character will probably be male. And I played Shepard as a female.

(Somewhat crap quality) photos of filming of the epilogue portion—when the characters are 40+ years old—of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows have been leaked. Good gravy, they made them look old. It's both a bit creepy and really quite fantastic.

May 26, 2010

The first season hasn't even ended, and the masses are already clamoring for a third.

In a huge vote of confidence for the zeitgeist-cracking drama, Fox has ordered a third season of Glee from Ryan Murphy Television and 20th Century Fox TV, EW has learned exclusively.

Season-to-date, Glee is the No. 1 new scripted series among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34, and has averaged 9.4 million total viewers. During its spring telecasts, the musical dramedy, starring Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison, and Lea Michele, averaged a 5.6/14 among 18-49 and 13.3 million viewers. It wraps its first season on Tuesday, June 8. “In just one year, Glee has transcended the television landscape and emerged as a global pop culture phenomenon,” said Peter Rice, the Fox Networks Group Entertainment Chairman, in a statement.

Added Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly, “Everything about Glee – from the concept to the characters to the marketing – has been innovative and risky, but with [series creator] Ryan Murphy tapping into the zeitgeist, the risk has paid off with this truly remarkable series. Glee has one of the most active, devoted fan bases I’ve ever seen, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to give Gleeks a third season of their favorite show.”

May 21, 2010

I'm trying to come up with a good name/day combo for Bits 2.0, but I haven't yet. If you've got an idea for a good name for a blog feature of links and general nerdiness, I'd love suggestions! As a general rule: Alliteration is awesome.

To those people, I say ... you're right. But admitting I have a problem doesn't mean I'm going to stop any time soon. I love getting caught up in the lives of fictional characters.

Of course, my love of TV means I get excited every year when the new Fall schedules are released. I like to troll through and see what new and awesome shows I can add to my ever growing "DVR this series!" list.

Chase—A show about a team of U.S. marshals who hunt down America’s most dangerous fugitives. (From Jerry Bruckheimer.)

The Event—An emotional high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker, an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée, Leila, and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history.

Undercovers—Married ex-CIA agents get pulled back into the spy biz.(From JJ Abrams.)

The Defenders—Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell team up in this new drama about two Las Vegas lawyers who play by their own rules.

Hawaii Five-O—When there’s trouble in paradise, Steve McGarrett returns to the islands and joins fish-out-of-water Danny Williams to launch an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police. (Alex O'Loughlin of Moonlight fame's in this one. I hope it lasts longer than Three Rivers.)

$#*! My Dad Says—Based on the #1 Twitter stream and best-selling book, $#*! My Dad Says features the caustic musings of Ed, a retired military doctor whose cranky one-liners have left him, at 72, with three ex-wives and a lot of time alone in his garden. (William Shatner, 'nuff said.)

CW
None of the new shows look that interesting, but you can bet I'll be watching The Vampire Diaries. I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Of course, I'll tide myself over until these new shows start with summer seasons of USA shows such as Psych and White Collar—the new Covert Affairs looks promising—and SyFy shows such as Eureka, Warehouse 13, Sanctuary, and the new Haven.

There's also summer shows starting on the networks ...

Now, before you go and worry for my sanity ... and my health ... know that I will not be watching all of these, I get plenty of exercise, and I do go outside.

May 18, 2010

Well, for starters, I'd like more room to spread out. I'd like a craft room/studio.

I'd also like to not be renting, and have the ability to do what I like with paint and (de)construction.

But today, today I need a house so I can get a Leaf Muntjac.

Also called barking deer, Muntjac deer are the oldest known deer, dating back to prehistoric times and originating in southern Asia and China. Two smaller species in this family, the Leaf Muntjac and the Reeves Muntjac, have been bred in the United States since the late 1990s; the Leaf deer weigh ten to twenty pounds, the Reeves twenty to twenty-five pounds. Once Muntjacs acclimate to their surroundings, they make loyal, fun-loving pets who run and play tag with their owners, as well as follow them around the house and give them kisses. They can live inside or outside or as indoor-outdoor pets (install a doggy door in your home and let them have the run of your property) and can be litter-trained within one day, just like kittens. If you decide to allow your Muntjac deer to roam freely, be aware that these agile animals can jump very high—most Leaf Muntjacs can clear five feet and can easily climb stairs—so take precautions to deer-proof your home, just as you’d secure it for your young child.